There have been times in my life that I have walked around thinking God’s promises apply to everyone else. Oh, I wouldn’t tell you that, and to be honest, I probably didn’t even realize it at the time. It was true nonetheless.
Honestly, there are times I’m still tempted to believe it.
Do you ever see God working in someone’s life and just wish he would work like that in yours?
Do you ever see his blessing on others and feel the slightest bit…jealous?
Do you ever hesitate to obey something he’s called you to do because you don’t think you’re as qualified or gifted as someone else?
If so, you know exactly how I’ve felt.
And it’s time to stop. It’s time to get off the roller coaster of comparison and realize a couple of things.
First, you are unique. The way God made you is special, and the way he’ll use you is, too. We have to stop wishing his work in our lives would look like his work in someone else’s and start recognizing and relishing the good gifts he’s graced us with.
Second, you are not unique. At least not when it comes to God’s faithfulness. You are not the one person on the planet he’s going to be unfaithful for. He can’t be. His promises are true because he is true. And, your faithfulness has very little to do with it because “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)
Now, let’s just stop here and have it said: He will always remain true to his promises, but he produces fruit in our lives as we remain in the one who remains faithful, remember? So, if we lack joy (or peace or patience or kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), it’s not because he’s failing to follow through but because we are failing to follow.
But, beyond that? If you are his, every promise he has made to his children applies to you. He isn’t playing eenie, meenie, minie, mo with us. We’re all it!
I love the way Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 1:18 & 20:
“But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ ….. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”